Fourth Time's the Charm
by Reginald Kastle
Summary: [fill]: Post-canon; iris gets a full-blown crush on kotori (complete with marriage proposals every time she comes to visit the barians) and rio considers trying to make the kid take it down a notch. [kotorio, kotoiris]


She loved watching him play.

In fact they _all_ did; there was something about the simple way his fingers could and would caress the bass that had everyone under his spell, but especially her.

"Oniisama?" She begins, legs crossed in front of her as she watches his fingers fiddle along the instrument. "Would you be able to do something for me?"

The music stops, Ryouga's hands holding over the instrument as he gazes upon her, eyes filled with curiosity and confusion as she continues upon her intrusion into his personal space. "Iris. What's up?"

"I want you to teach me how to play a song on that machine of yours."

A chuckle escapes his throat before he can stop himself, hand reaching forward to mess at his adoptive sister's hair. "Why, have a little crush at school that you want to impress?" He's joking, but when she nods, a parental instinct he hasn't felt for over five hundred years flares to life and he instinctively stops. A sigh passes from his lips as his shoulders lax in defeat, propping the bass to the side. "Well, if that's the case, then this isn't really the instrument to you know, serenade someone." He gets to his feet, sliding the instrument into place before making his way to the door. A quiet _but oniisama!_ Falls from her lips and he grins, gesturing with a kind smirk to follow her.

"Come on." He insists as she scrambles to her feet. "If a Kamishiro is going to propose their love to someone, then they can't go halfway. Let me show you the true love instrument."

* * *

She's dressed up her best for the situation – she insisted Ryouga take her out and buy the nicest dress she could, and he accepted because sure, it's _shopping_ but at least it's not _school_ – and helps her prepare with the intent of _they're going to be here after school, right?_ To which she nods eagerly and smoothes out the wrinkles in her green dress.

"Aaah, oniisama they'll be here soon! Are you ready?" she demands, small ballet flats tapping anxiously against the floor. He nods, fingers dancing along the keys in practice before flexing and resting on the keyboard, anxiety washing over him. He hopes that at the very least this is all over and done with before everyone comes home from school because there's only two possible outcomes from him – either Rio will yell at him for skipping school yet again or, should Iris's confession be successful, _whoever it is_, he honestly does not want everyone to begin coming to him thinking that he's some love expert or something-

A small knock echoes through the room, heightened by two sets of laughter that seems _awfully_ familiar-

"Oniisama!" Iris breaks his attention, hands gripping at his jacket anxiously. "It's time!"

An exhale falls from his lips, nodding and beginning his tune. The music flows through him, accompanied by her voice seconds after, and he's so lost in the eloquent music that he completely misses the gasp and laughter, kind, gentle laughter filling their ears and it's not until the empty seat beside him becomes occupied and a hand joins him, fishing out the notes he can't reach, that he realizes that _oh, this isn't who Iris was waiting for._

His eyes dart to his assailant, greeted in the form of flared eyes that raise an eyebrow, a chuckle falling from her lips as she finishes off the last few keys to the song. With a breath of relief, he lets his fingers fall to the keyboard, and it's only then that he bothers to actually check who it is.

He regrets it immediately.

Kotori's face is flushed a red he hasn't seen on a person before, a desperate attempt to hide it showing on her features as she pulls Iris into her arms and grins as Iris places the small bracelet over her wrist. "We're married now!" She claims, spinning the bracelet mindlessly as Kotori lets it dance in the light.

"Maybe when you're a bit older! Aren't you going to take me to dinner first?"

Anxiety fills him as he watches the scene, eyes watching him from every corner of the room, because _well yes this is his fault_ but _he wasn't aware_ and that should be enough, right? He can hear Rio's quiet laughter in his ears, a confirmation of what he knows and though he expects it, he almost misses the quiet whine hidden at the edge of her voice.

"She's so cute." She whispers, though no one really has any idea who she's talking about; his hand covers hers in reassurance and his eyes say it all. A cough echoes through the room, falling from her lips and he knows immediately what the issue is; he's gone from the room without a second thought, hand clasped around Kotori's arm within his until they both disappear from the room.

"Iris." She speaks up to catch her attention, a soft warning that snaps her from her daydreams. "Sweetie. Are you okay? This is the third time this week that you've asked Kotori to marry you."

Small ballet flats shuffle along the floor as she grips her hands excitedly, bangs hiding her reddened cheeks in the way that sparks de ja vu spiraling through Rio's system; thoughts of _did she learn that blush hiding technique from me?_ Pop into her head and she can't help but let all feelings roll away from her, replaced only by a sort of admiration – she's more courageous that she'll ever be, that's for sure.

"I love Kotori." She mumbles out, blush deepening as she gives in, covering her face completely in a vain effort to get Rio to stop staring her down. "I'm sorry Lady Merag, but she's so lovely and sweet, I love her so much, and Sir Durbe said that when you love someone, you marry them, so I just assumed!"

A chuckle bursts from her before she can stop herself, squatting in front of her and flashing their trademark twin grin. "I know she is, she's a very special lady. But I think Durbe… might have had the wrong idea, just like Ryouga did when you asked him to help you win their heart. Seems to be a boys thing, I don't know. But, I think for now, maybe just tone it down a little bit?"

"oh." The second the words fall from her lips, Rio realizes she's made a huge mistake. "Am I being too forward, Lady Merag? I'm just going off what Sir Durbe told me was appropriate for the situation."

Internally, she decides that _maybe_ it's time to have a little talk with Durbe. "No, no it's not that! Kotori thinks you're absolutely adorable!" the rest of her sentence is cut immediately by _Kotori thinks I'm adorable!_ And it's a few minutes before Iris collects herself enough to continue listening, but by that time Rio has already given up her façade and winks in reply.

"Besides, little one, you'll have to compete with me for her love." She winks as Iris's eyes widen in understanding, heels already halfway to the door.

"If that's the case Lady Merag, then I will need Sir Durbe's assistance in courting my fair maiden! Fourth time's the charm, for sure! Thank you, Lady Merag!"

Iris disappears from the room without another word, heels clicking down the hallway and Rio has no idea what to say or do, only holding onto the vain hope that comes with the knowledge that Durbe is not as good at courting women as he seems to believe.


End file.
